Chapter 4

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.

In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.

So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.

("Piano", D.H. Lawrence)

I

Despite his best efforts to remain detached and objective, Chiaki Masayuki found himself deeply moved by the rich impassioned playing of pieces only too familiar to himself. He had allowed himself to be persuaded to witness this breathtaking display of technical tour de force and emotional transparency initially by a growing curiosity. Sophie seldom raved about anything or anyone but she had evidently been taken with this Megumi Noda. Now that he had seen first hand what he had only heard, there was no doubt in his mind that there was something exceptional about Megumi Noda and the way she cajoled and caressed the instrument that she evidently worshipped… Not unlike two lovers intimately in tune with one another's rhythms… finding much pleasure in familiar movements and gestures.

She threw herself into every piece with the exuberance of a child at play and yet demonstrating an underlying maturity shaped by her own experiences of life. The soothing timbre of the music called out to him… reaching into places that he thought had long left him. Memories… of happier days… memories he had wanted so desperately to cast off in the past, now flooded his soul, cocooning him in a strange frisson of warmth.

Sophie fixed her gaze at the man she had agreed to marry. She held back a gasp as she saw the glimmer in his eyes and the taciturn tears rolling down his cheeks, in awe of the prowess of the young pianist who was able to move apparently impossible emotional mountains. Masa… what is she making you see?

It was a side of him she had rarely seen. Her fiancé was not a man given to emotional displays and yet here he was, moved to tears by an instrument that he himself was a master of. It was not in her nature to pry but seeing him so utterly vulnerable made her all the more inquisitive about the things in his life that were closed to her.

He seldom talked about his emotional life and less still about the family that he had abandoned all those years ago. Were they tears of something lost? Hidden? Or… regrets? She did not know… and a wave of sadness overwhelmed her at the thought of what she did not know. The past he was all too ready to forget. The marriage that failed. The son that he did not talk about. All the memories that were inaccessible to her struck a pang or two of concern. Sophie was not a novice in the game of love neither was she prone to sentimentality. With a string of breakups and near engagements behind her, she had no schoolgirl's dreamy disposition. Nor was she in search of perfection and Chiaki Masayuki was hardly that. But what she sensed was that he was a man of hidden fires… she knew that if she was patient enough and chipped away long enough at those walls he had built around himself, she might actually get close enough to see flame… if she somehow managed not to get burnt in the process. The son would be the key, she surmised, but it would be a mammoth task to bring both men to the table. Masa… why won't you set things right?

The enthusiastic burst of applause in the background reminded Sophie that she was in audience at a recital. I was a million miles away. She then recalled that she had heard Megumi Noda play at a minor piano competition in Paris two years earlier. She was good even then. But tonight, her playing was coloured by something else… an inner untouchable joy overflowing with… love.

James Beresford was strangely disturbed. He had heard that she was good but no one had told him how good. That it should trouble him so, however, was the greater mystery.

So she can play… that should be no great surprise… The Tilburn is no walk in the park.

She carries on playfully like a child in a sandpit and moves around the keyboard like a demon. No pretence… no holds barred. How refreshing… and how very rare…

Beresford sat rooted to his seat, absorbed in his ruminations as the other guests were leaving theirs and making their way down the aisles. The performance had been mind blowing, to say the least. To think that the uncouth creature he saw gorging herself that same morning was the same creature that spun music which would even make the angels weep. Amazingly, the pig in doll's disguise was an enchantress underneath all her unexpected layers. Undoubtedly, Megumi Noda Chiaki was a force of nature… capable of weaving magic that would melt the iciest hearts and make grown men cry.

Beresford was irritated… that this unexpected package should be in the possession of someone like Chiaki… a mere boy… in the matters of the heart.

I doubt very much that he knows her worth and even if he did, I don't think that he is capable of fine tuning such a rare instrument.

As much as he hated to admit it, Beresford couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of envy. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was in danger of becoming far too fascinated with the said, Megumi Noda.

She called him "Milch" from the early days… a nickname which he gave himself when he first met her as a student. Milch… or Stresemann felt a rare tug on his heartstrings as he saw how far she had come. The recital was the first time in a long time, he'd heard her play. His nickname had stuck… and so had his advice for her to face the music. Even so, she had surpassed all his expectations… the awkward duckling had turned into an exquisite swan, weaving all kinds of magic with her instrument. She showed courage, pressed on and had been unwavering on her road to success.

In short, he was proud of her and of what she was becoming.

Sebastiano Vieira was openly impressed. Shinichi had chosen well… far better than he himself probably realized. But it wasn't just the skill or the talent that he approved of but the genuine modesty… the desire to please and bring joy to others.

"My dear Nodame… that was absolutely amazing. Shinichi would be so proud if he were here. Well, I'm sure he is anyway…"

"You think so… I'm so glad… To tell you the truth, I was somewhat nervous."

"I didn't notice… you looked as if you were in complete control the entire time."

"It was Mozart. He helped me."

"Mozart?" Vieira shot her a quizzical look and glanced around briefly.

She continued as if she did not hear the question or see the bemused look in Vieira sensei's eyes. "I could hear him telling me that I was a part of music history… that he was pleased that I was here to make music but more importantly that I could make people happy with my music. That is the most important thing, isn't it, Vieira sensei, to play from the heart so as to touch the hearts of others."

"Yes, my dear… it is…" The emotion thickened noticeably in his voice. "And you definitely did that tonight."

"Oh good…" She answered simply, oblivious to the large crowd that was gradually gathering around her. Relieved that it was all over, her only thought was the husband that she left behind. I hope he doesn't overdo it. He seemed so troubled and stressed.

"Nodame… it's time to meet your fans…" Sebastiano Vieira broke into her woolgathering.

"Huh? My fans?"

"They are waiting to talk to you." Vieira reminded the absent-minded pianist as a group of music lovers made their way toward them.

"I… have fans… ?"

"It certainly looks like it from where I'm standing. At least I don't think they're here to see me." He chuckled.

"They want to talk to me? What am I going to say?"

"Just thank them for coming… answer their questions… Be yourself. That's always the best thing."

Nodame took a big gulp of water from the bottle she had been holding. "Is it? Gyabo. This is even more nerve wrecking than meeting all those diplomat in that embassy reception in Rome."

"Your job should be made easier by the fact that they love you already…"

"I don't want to disappoint them…"

"You won't…"

"Nodame the pianist and Nodame the person might be two different people."

"No… she's not… and she's the most honest person I know."

Looking past the sea of faces, Nodame observed with her scrounged up face, a tall, dark-haired, male figure, a short distance away quietly engaged in conversation with a couple of women. There was something about him that was vaguely familiar. Is he Japanese, I wonder? Do I know him from Japan? Okawa? Momogaoka Academy?

After some moments racking her brains and deliberating, Nodame gave up trying to remember and shook hands with the man in front of her. I must be mad, trying to hold a conversation and work out who that is all at the same time. I'll find out soon enough anyway if I've been previously acquainted with this man. Muki… why does he look so familiar?

As the queue shortened, Nodame's curiosity heightened as that same man and his female companion joined the end of it. He proceeded to take off his glasses and polish it with his handkerchief. It was at that moment that the penny dropped. There was something of the son in the father… that same impenetrable stoicism.

Mukya… it's Chiaki Masayuki… what is he doing here? Does he know who I am?

As Nodame studied his face distractedly, it didn't seem on the surface that he especially recognized her beyond what occurred during the recital. She couldn't decide then if that was a good or bad thing…

He came to my recital… Why? To check me out? To find out what kind of person his son has married?. Maybe he hated it and has remained behind to give me a tongue lashing.

"Ms Noda… I've been looking forward to this. I saw you perform in Paris years ago…" A clear female voice interrupted her internal ramblings.

"Sorry… what was that? I'm a little tired. It's been a long day." Nodame apologized profusely.

"It's perfectly alright Ms Noda, I understand. I've just returned from an overseas tour myself… I'm Sophie and this is my fiancé, Masayuki…"

"Chiaki…" Nodame cut in like a well-timed answering machine. "It's an honour and a pleasure, sir." By that time, she had recovered her wits and was ready to be the charming celebrity.

Masayuki Chiaki spoke in a deep sonorous tone. "It was a fine performance… Ms Noda. Omedetou gozaimasu!"

"Arigatou gozaimasu… Chiaki sensei… You are too kind." Both lapsed momentarily into their native tongue.

"Hey… don't go Japanese on me… the two of you." Sophie interjected with mock indignance.

The elder Chiaki broke into a rare smile. "Sorry, dear… I don't often get to use the language camping out here in Europe. Have you just come from Japan, Ms Noda?"

"Yes… in fact… the wedding was in Japan." Nodame wondered how much she should say. "I just got married." To your son.

"Really… well, congratulations again."

"Yes, thank you. We're spending our honeymoon here in Vienna." Your son and I.

"On your honeymoon? You're working on your honeymoon?…" Sophie's jaw dropped.

"Yeah… my… er… husband is attending a… con… conference so I'm doing what I can to keep myself busy." Evidently he doesn't know. Gabon. His own son and he doesn't know?

"Don't you Japanese ever take holidays?" Sophie was flabbergasted.

Nodame could only grin. "Sometimes…"

"This fiancé of mine is just as bad. The last time I accompanied him on a performance tour, I became a piano widow. I think he saw more of the inside of the practice studio than me." Sophie elbowed the bespectacled pianist who responded with an indulgent smile.

Like father, like son. Nodame giggled. "Sounds familiar."

"Just don't let that husband of yours take advantage of your good nature and make it a habit."

"I won't." He owes me… big time…

"We should go and let Ms Noda have her rest."

"I don't mind."

"I'm still tired… suffering from jetlag." Sophie remarked. "But it was great meeting you Ms Noda. As Masa said, it was a wonderful performance and we hope to see you in Vienna again one day."

"I'm sure you will… we intend to live in Europe for a while."

"Excellent." Chiaki senior bowed instead of offering his hand. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Ms Noda.

Nodame once again fell into speaking her mother tongue. "Likewise, gifu." He's changed… quite different to what he was five years ago. I wonder what happened. "Perhaps one day I will have the honour ofsitting in the audience at one of your performances."

"The honour is mine… Noda Megumi." With that, he bowed solemnly. Taking the arm of the woman who was with him, he strolled to the nearest exit.

Gyabo… So that is the man whose son I married. Not as terrifying as I expected. That same sadness lingering in his eyes. I wonder if I should have said something.

Turning it over her mind for some minutes, she shook her head. Probably just as well I didn't. I don't think he would have cared much and I don't think Shinichi would have wanted me to either.

"A penny for your thoughts, Masa…"

"I tuned out again… didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

"I'm sorry… I was just thinking about Megumi Noda…"

"Fascinating creature. What about her?"

"Perhaps it's just my mind working overtime. It was something she said… I don't even know if she realized it herself."

"What did she say?"

"She called me 'gifu'."

"And that means…?"

"Father-in-law…"

"It's probably just a mistake. She probably meant to say something else."

"It's a very strange mistake for someone who was born and bred in Japan to make. And especially after she called me Chiaki sensei the first time."

"So what are you trying to say?"

"I don't know… I don't know…"

II

Chiaki made it plainly obvious that he did not want to be there. He couldn't care less what these people got up to in their private lives. It had nothing to do with him and he wanted nothing to do with all the secrets he was now privy to. Yet again he had been maneuvered into an abhorrent position of having to clean up after others.

"So you're saying that you received the note the night you arrived?" I wonder how she's doing.

"Yes… someone slipped it under my door while I was having a few drinks at the hotel bar."

"And you're sure that no one knew about your relationship with this woman prior to you getting this note?" I hope she didn't overdo the make up.

"Yes, yes… how many do I have to tell you that?" Stanton insisted impatiently.

"Well, somebody must've found out… unless you think it's Miss Smith whose trying to blackmail you." I hope she doesn't have trouble with the dress.

"It's possible but I'm not the only one who received one of these." Stanton looked at the note with undisguised distaste.

"Evidently you weren't as careful as you thought you were." She seemed a little nervous tonight.

"The only way in which anyone could have found out about Joy is if she talked."

"But they would have to know about her first, wouldn't they?"

"It depends on who she talked to…"

Chiaki was visibly frustrated. He was going no where with his inquiry. "Look, Stanton… what do you want from me? Your big secret is not going to be a secret for much longer. If you're expecting me to…"

"I just want to know who it is and put a stop to it. I can't have my wife find out about Joy."

"I'm not a miracle worker, Stanton… and I have a wife too. She's being neglected because people like you want the convenience of your secrets but can't bear the responsibility of your own actions."

"Chiaki, it's not like that…"

"I'm the one holding the bag, aren't I? Unlike you, I care about how my wife feels when I'm off doing something else when my place is with her."

Chiaki was exhausted and frankly, fed up. These petty scandals and rivalries were beneath him and yet… he knew that these situations, gone unchecked could escalate and take on a life of their own. Still his mind couldn't help wandering during the conversations. I wonder how the recital is going. Her first one since the Tilburn… Damn, I should be there. Not here, playing detective.

"How's your eye?" Chiaki examined Johnson's deformed and swelling eye.

"Could be better… but then it could be worse… Othello packs a mean punch."

"Look, you can tell me the truth and it stays between us. Did you or did you not have an affair with Jankowski's wife?"

"I swear to you… I have not even laid a hand on that woman. Everyone knows how Othello is about his wife… only someone with a death wish would even consider something as harebrained as that."

"Why would someone wish to implicate you in something like this? Do you have enemies in the guild?"

"Who doesn't? It's hard not to rub someone the wrong way in this place."

"Have you rubbed someone the wrong way?"

Johnson shrugged his shoulders. "I've had a few run-ins with some of the newer members but nothing serious. For all their talk, I don't think they're the type that hold grudges."

"So you think it's someone with a grudge?"

"Has to be… to want me dead."

Johnson's comments hit home. The perpetrator or perpetrators were no mere mischief makers… they were after blood… to some degree. But one thing puzzled Chiaki… a question he kept coming back to… what did these attacks have in common? Or were the targets randomly picked as an overall grievance against the entire guild? Clearly there was someone in the guild with serious anger issues and had a dire need to lash out.

"Show me the note, Jankowski."

The heavyset, Polish conductor eyed Chiaki for a moment before flinging the anonymous verse into his lap.

Othello had a pretty wife

Whose fleece was white as snow

And everywhere that Othello went

The wife was sure to go.

Johnson followed her to school one day

Even though it was against the rules

Together still they laughed and played

And frolicked in her bed.

"It's anonymous too… just like the one Stanton received."

"I was furious when I read it."

"I'm sure you were… but you would have been better off verifying these charges first."

"I don't know what I was thinking."

You probably weren't. "Did you have any reason before this incident to think that Johnson was culpable in some way?"

"No… not really… I didn't know him that well. He seemed friendly enough."

"Yet you were quick to believe the contents of this note."

Jankowski buried his face in his hands and sobbed piteously into it. "I… I'm… losing her…" There was an echo of despair in his voice.

"Losing her?"

"She's become very distant lately… I wanted her to come with me but she refused. I thought it was another man but she denied. She said she wanted some space… she was feeling stifled and she was sick of being treated like a pet."

I don't blame her. "May be you should consider her words carefully. Perhaps it is something that you both need to sort out between yourselves. There might not be a third party involved."

"I love her… "

"I'm sure you do…" Chiaki gingerly attempted to pat the man on the back and then quickly pulled back lest the gesture be misunderstood. "But from what little experience I have, it seems to me that women require a little breathing space now and again."

"Really?"

"Yes… really."

Good lord… I'm turning into a marriage counselor. Married for three days… and I'm giving advice? This is not what I signed up for when I joined the guild.

Chiaki heaved a long sigh as he walked out of Jankowski's room. His investigations were not entirely fruitless and he did establish that these notes were deliberately targeted at specific individuals for a specific purpose. As yet he was unable to see the big picture. He feared that to get to the bottom of this matter, he would have to wait for the shadowy hand to act before some kind of distinct pattern could be established.

III

Justin Lee never felt more content… more at peace with the world. He gazed affectionately at his bride of six hours and thought himself the luckiest man alive. He chided himself for doubting her and slipped his arms around her, full of hope for the future.

She too was the picture of contentment… but of a different kind and rubbed her satiated belly. "I'm completely stuffed. That was a feast fit for a king."

"How about a queen?"

"Justin…" She said quietly. "You are too good to me."

"Nothing is too good for the woman I love."

"I was a fool… an utter fool."

"Sssh… no more of that now. No one's allowed to badmouth my wife. Not even you."

Leaning over, he brushed over her lips lightly and then deepened it. He was desperate for her to know just how deep his feelings ran and almost lost control. But he remembered in time that they were standing on the corridor, outside his… no, their room.

"I think perhaps we should continue this inside." He whispered breathlessly.

She smiled at him serenely, never taking her eyes off him. "Yes, I think we should."

He needed no other encouragement. He would show her in no uncertain terms how much she meant to him and how much he desired her. Tonight was theirs... and there was no mother in the background to spoil burst their bubble.

It was the culmination of three years of waiting and longing. It had been worth the wait. He caressed her silky, black locks and watched her drift off into blissful slumber. He was a happy man… for at long last the woman of his dreams was his. Justin recalled their first meeting… the shyness that exuded from her… the tyrannical mother that hovered over her like a bad smell. For all her confident musicianship, Rui had a vulnerability about her and it was this vulnerability that he was drawn to. It had aroused his protective instincts immediately and from then on, he did not once look back.

Justin got up to pour himself a drink and noticed a piece of folded paper on the floor. Do hotels still send patrons messages this way? He thought to himself incredulously

The note was addressed in a bold, calligraphic font to him and to her. Who knows that she's here?

Curiously, he opened the note and what he read troubled him greatly… So much so that he had trouble sleeping that night.

Oh Chiaki, Chiaki, will you marry me,

With your baton, score and hum

Oh pretty maid, I cannot marry you,

For I have no tuxedo to put on

Then away she went

To her hope chest

And brought him one of the very very best,

And the conductor put it on

Oh Chiaki, Chiaki, will you marry me,

With your baton, score and hum?

Oh no, pretty maid, I cannot marry you

I have no tie to put on.

Then away she went

To her hope chest

And brought him one of the very very best,

And the conductor put it on

Oh Chiaki, Chiaki will you marry me

With your baton, score and hum

Oh pretty maid I cannot marry you

For I have a wife at home

Author's Comments:

Thus far I have refrained from making too many comments lest it takes away from your enjoyment of the story. There's nothing worse than being spoiled when one is reading a piece of crime fiction. However, a couple of points have been raised which I feel I should address.

Firstly, I apologize for the confusion I must be causing by introducing a myriad of OC in this story. It is however, necessary and even obligatory to have them if I'm to successfully complete my homage to the classic British mystery tale. (Too much Agatha Christie in my younger days unfortunately) I beg with you to persevere as these characters will become more a part of the landscape as the story progresses.

Secondly, I'm particularly gratified by the complimentary comments I received regarding those rather intimate moments between Chiaki and Nodame. They were hard to write but I felt them necessary in the context of what's going on in the story.

kana-chan: Thank you for faithfully following the story and your insightful comments. I'm trying very hard not to kill anyone in this story although my original idea was to have these conductors murdered by a psycho serial killer. But the thought of having to wade through pathology related gobbledegook did not appeal to me.

I don't think it is my job as a writer to create sympathetic characters per se but to make the characters as multidimensional as possible. I prefer to "push" a character as far as I can go and let them speak for him/herself. As I get older, I tend to move away from caricatures and become more engaged in a character's psyche and look at what makes them tick.

I maintain also that every individual is his or her own worst enemy, despite all external influences.

Hermonie: You are making me blush… thank you for your kind words but I know that there are heaps of very good Nodame/Chiaki fics all around the net. In fact, I don't think I've read a single bad one, aside from the usual grammatical and lexical issues.

lunaticrose: I don't do smut that well… Humour is merely my fallback plan. ;) But it's Nodame… one would expect something out of the ordinary.

Ebony: "Toy boy" is probably more a Down Under expression. But according to Wikipedia both are common parlance.

Mmestrange: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to put in those reviews. It's amazing what a nice review does for me… my family's happy too. Thanks for also getting in touch with me. I didn't realize that you had an account.

Kandida: It's always terrific to see your comments although I don't make reference to them directly to maintain some degree of suspense. But no, Nodame's not pregnant. ;) I don't think I will be visiting that subject matter for a while. I may, however, if the mood is right, update The Labours of S.C. some time down the track.

Star Garden: I appreciate your comments for this fic and for Cat's in the Cradle. It's always good to know that people are still reading my very first Nodame fic after all this time.